Toy train track



April 21,1925. 1,534,303

J. L. COWEN TOY TRAIN TRACK md March 21, 1923 map 7 Smvenbor JOE Mid [,Cau/en mflw Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,534,303 PATENT OFFICE.

' JOSHUA I. COWEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LIONEL CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TOY TRAIN Timex.

Application filed March 21, 1923. Serial No. 626,683.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that J osHUA L. Gowns, citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, inthe county of New York and State of New York, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Train Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toy railroad tracks. More p irticularly, it is directed to an improved switching means for switching the toy train from one track to another.

One object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character described means for insulating the switch tongues so as to prevent short circuiting between the switch tongues and the third rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which shall be simple in construction and efficient in operation to a high degree.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists inthe features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following. claims.

In the accompanying drawin in which is shown one of the various possib e illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a toy railroad track embodying my invention;

Fig. 1 is a detailed view of the hand operated switch for moving the switch tongues and simultaneously setting the block signal;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View out along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the switch tongues;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view out along line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the insulators.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 indicates the main railroad track of a toy electrical railroad and 15 a branch line thereof. The track 10 comprises the rails 11, 11' extendin over cross-ties 12 andan intermediate't ird rail 13 insulatedas at 14 from the said ties. Preferably the rails and crossties are made in one piece from sheet metal,

BEISSUED ties 17 and an intermediate track rail 18 insulated from the cross ties as at 19.

Where the branch line 15 connects with the main track 10, the respective third rails 18, 13 are connected by a fork member 20 from which extendsa widened portion 20* so that the train contact shoe (not shown) may stay in contact with the third rail as the trains switch from one track to another. The usual switch tongues 21, 22 are provided which may be moved into proper position as desired for switching the track from the main track to the branch track and vice versa in the manner hereinafter described. The switch tongues 21, 22 are preferably integrally formed from sheet 'metal and comprise hollow rail sections of similar construction to the rails 11, 11 and 16, 16' struck up so as to upstand from the base 23. The switch tongue members converge towards each other at the portions adjacent the cross over in the usual manner.

The fork 20 is disposed between the two cross-ties 12 12", adjacent the track junction, and is depressed below the said tongues. For joining the fork 20 to the widened portion 20*, the material of the former is struck up adjacent the portion 20 and extends upwardly through the opening 23 provided in the tongue base 23. A pivot pin 24 extends through the base 23 and the cross tie 12", and another pivot pin onscrew 25 extends through the base portion 23 into a slot 26 formed in the switch lever 27, eccentrically mounted on the bottom of the platform or support 26v extending from the tracks, a curved, slot 30 being provided in the platform. wherein rides the pin 31 ex tending from the remote end of the switch lever. Mounted on the top of the platform 26 is a hand lever 32 to which the switch arm 27 is ec'centrically linked by means of said pin 31. The hand lever 32 is further centrally pivoted to a vertical shaft 33 extend ing into the block signal tower 34 and carrying at its upper end the block signal 35, so that when hand lever 32 is actuated the switch lever 27 is actuated so as to move the switch tongues in one direction .or the/other about the pivot 24, and at the same time the shaft 33 is rotated so as to set the block signal. In this way, simultaneously with the switching of the train from-one track to the other, the block signal is correspondingly set.

From the position of the switching tongues shown in Fig. 1, it is clear that as the train contact shoe (not shown) leaves the third rail 13 at the end 13 adjacent the tongue 20, thesaid contact shoe may accidentally swing into the space 18 between the switch tongue 21 and the end 13 of the third rail, thus causing a short circuit. A similar condition may arise between the tongue 22 and the third rail 18, and between either or both the tongues 22, 21 and the widened portions To prevent such short circuits, I provide the switch tongues 22, 21 along a substantial portion thereof with the insulators 36, 36', comprising strips of' insulating material such as hard rubber that extend along the side of each rail section of the switch tongues which faces or is adjacent to a third rail. These strips are rigidly secured by any suitable means to said rail sections. In the form shown in the drawing, the respective sides 21*, 22 of the switch tongues are cut away as at 21", 22 and the insulating strips extend across said cut away portions and into the rail sections by means of extensions 36 formed by cutting away the material of the insulating strips at the ends thereof as will be clear from Fig. 5.. For more securely fastening the strips and the rail section rivets 37, 37' passing through opening 36 in the insulators and the rail sections may be employed.

It is clear, therefore, that by insulating the switchin tongue along the sides adjacent the third rail and along their upper surfaces, a short circuit can not take place when the contact shoe accidentally orv otherwise is moved outof its vertically suspended position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting-sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a toy electric railroad having a main track including a third rail and a branch track including a third rail, switch tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides thereof adjacent said third rails.

2. In a toy electric railroad having a main track and a branch track, switch means for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, said switch means comprising movable rail sections, the rails of which are composed in part of insulating material.

3. In a toy electric railroad having a main track and a branch track, switch means for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, said switch means comprising movable rail sections having insulators thereon for the purpose described, said rail sections comprising hollow upstanding members conforming to the main and branch rails, and said insulators comprising strips of insulator members extending into said hollow rail sections.

4. In a toy electric railroad 'having a .main track including a third rail and a branch track including a third rail, switch tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides thereof adjacent said third rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and having the sides thereof adjacent said third rails cut away, and said insulators comprising strips of insulating material extending across the cut-away portions of said rail sections.

5. In a toy electric railroad having a main track including a third rail and a branch track including a third rail; switch .tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides thereof adjacent said third rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and having the sides thereof adjacent said third rails cut away, and said insulators comprising strips of insulating material extending across the cut-away portions of said rail sections, and extending into said rail sections.

6. In a toy electric railroad main track including a third rail and a branch track including a third rail, switch tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides thereof adjacent said third rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and having the sides thereof adjacent said third rails cut away, and said insulators comprising strips of insulating material extending across the cut-away portions of said rail sections and extending into saidrail sections, and means passing through said insulators and said rail sections for rigidly holding the former to the latter.

7. In a toy electric railroad having a having a' main track including a third rail and a branch track includin a third rail, switch vtongues 'for guiding t e toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides thereof adjacent said third. rails, said switch tongues'comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and having the sides thereof adjacent said third rails cut away, and said insulators comprising strips of insulating material bridging the cut-away portions of said rail sections, and having extensions adapted to enter into said hollow rail sections.

8. In a toy electric railroad having a main track and a branch track, hard rubber switching tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, a block signal operatively connected to said switch tongues, and means for operating said switch tongues and simultaneously setting or changing said block signal.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JOSHUA L. COWEN. 

